Heinrich



' UNITED STATES I Patented June 16, 1903 PATENT OFFICE.

HEINRIC SPEOKETER AND OSKAR H. WEBER, or GRIESHEIM-ON-THE- MAIN, GERMANY, ASSIGNORS TO THE FIRM or OHEMISCIIE FABRIK GRIESHEIM ELECTRON, OF FRANKFORT-ON-THE-MAIN, GERMANY.

MANUFACTURE OF ALKALI METALS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 730,979, dated June 16, 1903.

Application filed April 1?,1902. Serial No. 103,450. (No specimens.

- To all'whom it may concern:

Be itknown that we, HEINRICH SPECKETER and OSKAR H. WEBER, subjects of the German Emperor, residing and having our postoffice address at l-Bahnstrasse, Griesheimon-the-Main, Germany, have invented certain new and useful Improvements'in the Manufacture of Alkali Metals, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a process of manufacture of metals of the alkalies by causing metallic aluminium to act upon the fluorin action taking place in accordance with the following equation:

6K Fl+A1=3K+AlK El In consequence besides potassium a double fiuorid of aluminium and potassium is obtained. The aluminium does not act on this a double salt and does not cause potassium to become free therefrom. The reaction takes place at the melting-point of the potassium fluorid, the potassium distilling oflE and being obtained pure. The process when using aluminium is entirely free from danger, and it is the only one in which no explosive compound of potassium and carbon oxid is produced. Moreover, the residue of the double fiuorid of aluminium and potassium can be worked again into potassium iinorid. If silico potassium fluorid be used at the beginning, silicium is one of the by-products.

The process is best carried out as follows: In a retort or. other suitable vessel ten kilograms of aluminium are heated with the corresponding quantity of potassium fluorid.

The aluminium is preferably in the size of large pieces, because if it were in'the form of powder the reaction would be too violent and an entrainment of the molten residue would occur. At the melting-point of potas- -sium fluorid the reaction takes place and goes on smoothly until the potassium is entirely displaced. The potassium is "collected in a suitable receiver. The residue of the double fluorid of aluminium and fiuorid is treated with caustic potash. The resulting potassium fluorid can be used again in a further operation, while the aluminium hydroxid is used again in the aluminium process.

We claim- The herein-described process of producing alkali. metal by heating a mixture of aluminium'and alkali fluorid in a suitable distilling apparatus, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof we have signed our 'names to this specification in the presence of twosubscribing witnesses.

HEINRICH SPEOKETER. OSKAR H. WEBER.

Witnesses:

FRANZ HASSLAOHER, MICHAEL VoLK. 

